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Election results for California Propositions 14, 18, 23, and 24 – FOX 11 Los Angeles

By Stem Cell Doctors

LOS ANGELES - Twelve statewide propositions appeared on the California ballot for the November 3 election and voters will decide what becomes law.Those measures cover an array of topics including stem cell research, primary voting for 17-year-olds, kidney dialysis clinics and data privacy rules.

RELATED:Election Results: California Propositions

California voters pass Proposition 14

Proposition 14 would allow California to sell $5.5 billion in general obligationbonds for continued stem cell and medical research. The measure builds on Prop 71 that was enacted by voters in 2004 to support stem cell research and authorized $3 billion in bonds. According to theLeague of Women Voters of California,almost all the funds from the sale of the bonds authorized by Prop 71 have been spent.

California voters rejectProposition 18

Proposition 18 would allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries and special elections, provided they turn 18 by the November general election. At least 18 states and Washington, D.C., have adopted laws that let people younger than 18 vote in certain circumstances.

Advocates say any chance to get people in the habit of voting should be encouraged. Besides, they say, young people whose birthdays fall between the primary and the general election are at an unfair disadvantage.

The Election Integrity Project California, the main opponent to Proposition 18, says that 17-year-olds are still considered children under the law and have no business deciding elections.

California voters reject Proposition 23

Proposition 23 was placed on the ballot by unions that represent health care workers and has attracted more than $110 million in political spending to persuade voters.

Opponents, financed by dialysis clinic companies, say that under that mandate, between two and three doctors would be required at every facility because most are open at least 16 hours a day, creating a financial burden that could lead some clinics to close.

Proposition 23 is the second attempt by the unions to increase regulation of dialysis clinics in California, where DaVita Inc. and Fresenius Medical Care two of the countrys largest for-profit dialysis providers operate about three-quarters of the states dialysis market.

California voters pass Proposition 24

Proposition 24 would update a 2018 law that gave Californians the right to know what information companies collect about them online, the right to get that data deleted and the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information.

The new measure would triple the fines for companies that violate kids privacy or break laws on the collection and sale of childrens private information. It would create a dedicated state agency to enforce the new law, with an annual budget of $10 million.

It also aims to close some loopholes that proponents say companies like Facebook, Google and Spotify have exploited.

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Election results for California Propositions 14, 18, 23, and 24 - FOX 11 Los Angeles

FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics and Lonza Agree to Expand the Availability and Use of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology – BioSpace

By Stem Cell Clinic

About Lonza

At Lonza, we combine technological innovation with world class manufacturing and process excellence. Together, these enable our customers to deliver their discoveries in the healthcare, preservation, and protection sectors.

We are a preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and specialty ingredients markets. We work to prevent illness and promote a healthier world by enabling our customers to deliver innovative medicines that help treat or even cure a wide range of diseases. We also offer a broad range of microbial control solutions, which help to create and maintain a healthy environment.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, Lonza today operates in 120 sites and offices in more than 35 countries. With approximately 15,500 full-time employees, we are built from high-performing teams and of individual employees who make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 5.9 billion in 2019 with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.6 billion. Find out more atwww.lonza.comand follow us on Twitter @LonzaGroup or Facebook @LonzaGroupAG.

About FUJIFILM

FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc. (FCDI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) utilized in drug discovery and cell therapies. FCDI is using its expertise in iPSC technologies to develop a robust cell therapeutics pipeline to address unmet medical needs in areas such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and immuno-oncology. For its partners, FCDI utilizes its iPSC platform to advance the progress of therapeutic candidates in the clinic and provides contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services. In addition to cell therapy, FCDI also offers life science research tools including the companys inventoried iCell products, which are available in almost any cell type and are sourced from multiple cell lines which can be applied for target identification as well as toxicity testing. The company also offers custom cell development services and cell banking. FCDIs goal is to leverage the vast utility of iPSCs to advance human health and improve the quality of life for patients around the world. For more information, please visit:https://fujifilmcdi.com

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings cutting edge solutions to a broad range of global industries by leveraging its depth of knowledge and fundamental technologies developed in its relentless pursuit of innovation. Its proprietary core technologies contribute to the various fields including healthcare, highly functional materials, document and imaging products. These products and services are based on its extensive portfolio of chemical, mechanical, optical, electronic and imaging technologies. For the year ended March 31, 2020, the company had global revenues of $21 billion, at an exchange rate of 109 yen to the dollar. Fujifilm is committed to responsible environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit:www.fujifilmholdings.com

Lonza Contact Details

FUJIFILM Contact Details:

Christine Jackman

FUJIFILM

(914) 789-8523

christine.jackman@fujfilm.com

Additional Information and Disclaimer

Lonza Group Ltd has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It has a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST). Lonza Group Ltd is not subject to the SGX-STs continuing listing requirements but remains subject to Rules 217 and 751 of the SGX-ST Listing Manual.

Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this newsrelease. All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

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FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics and Lonza Agree to Expand the Availability and Use of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology - BioSpace

Cleveland Clinic team draws a link between COVID-19 protection and the sleep aid melatonin – FierceBiotech

By Stem Cell Clinic

The idea of repurposingexisting medicines as a fast approach to containing COVID-19 is still popular, even as vaccines and antibodies designed to combat the disease are starting to gain steam. Scientists at the Cleveland Clinic are among those examining existing compounds as possible treatments for the coronavirus, and now they're suggesting that the popular over-the-counter sleep aid melatonin may be a possible option in treating the disease.

The researchers used an artificial intelligence tool to analyze data from 26,779 individuals in the Cleveland Clinics COVID-19 registry, of whom 8,274 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

They found that people who were taking melatonin were 28% less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2, after adjusting for factors such as age, sex and underlying diseases, according to results published in the journal PLOS Biology.

Much has been written about the promise of real-world data (RWD) in life sciences, but how does it work in practice? We address this question in a new whitepaper that demonstrates the potential benefits of new RWD technologies with a proof of concept study to show how RWD can be incorporated into clinical research.

The melatonin effect was more pronounced in African Americans, with a reduction of 52%. In White Americans, the number was 23%.

Melatonin is a hormone released by the body that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. As a dietary supplement, its commonly used to help manage insomnia andjet lag.

Besides melatonin, the Cleveland Clinic team also found that the beta-blocker carvedilol, sold under the brand Coreg for high blood pressure and other heart diseases, was associated with a 26% reduction in a persons chance of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.

RELATED:Melatonin? Stem cells? Researchers step up with unconventional approaches to COVID-19

Some members of the same Cleveland Clinic team previously pinpointed melatonin among a group of drugs they suggested might work for COVID. They showed that melatonin and mercaptopurine might work as a good combo for COVID. Those findings came from a pharmacology-based platform that used a technique called network proximity analysis. It was based on the idea that some proteins involved in other diseases might hold proximity to a virus interaction with the host.

The researchersapplied the same method in the current study to shed a light on clinical manifestations and pathologies common between COVID-19 and 64 other diseases. Closer proximity would mean a higher likelihood of pathological associations between the diseases.

They found that proteins involved in respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis were highly connected with SARS-CoV-2. That wasnt a surprise given that the two disorders can also cause death in patients with severe COVID-19.

This signals to us that a drug already approved to treat these respiratory conditions may have some utility in also treating COVID-19 by acting on those shared biological targets, Feixiong Cheng, Ph.D., the studys senior author, said in a statement.

Overall, they identified close network proximity to SARS-CoV-2 proteins from inflammatory bowel disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as pulmonary diseases such as COPD. Using a computational model, they identified 34 drugs that were significantly proximal to two or more SARS-CoV-2 host protein sets.

RELATED:COVID-19: Bio researchers race to repurpose everything from antiviral to anticancer discoveries

A team at Columbia University has also linked melatonin with increased likelihood of clinical improvement among critically ill COVID-19 patients on intubation or mechanical ventilation.

The sleep-promoting supplement was also reportedly used by President Donald Trump during his COVID-19 infection, though its not clear if he was taking it specifically to treat the disease or as part of his daily nutrition routine.

Despite melatonin emerging as a top pick from the Cleveland Clinic registry, Cheng cautioned that larger, randomized control trials would be needed before the supplement could be widely adopted in the treatment of COVID-19.

Cheng added that AI-based approaches to analyzing COVID-19 patient registries should be embraced in the effort to find effective treatments for the disease.Recent studies suggest that COVID-19 is a systematic disease impacting multiple cell types, tissues and organs, so knowledge of the complex interplays between the virus and other diseases is key to understanding COVID-19-related complications and identifying repurposable drugs, Cheng said. Our study provides a powerful, integrative network medicine strategy to predict disease manifestations associated with COVID-19 and facilitate the search for an effective treatment.

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Cleveland Clinic team draws a link between COVID-19 protection and the sleep aid melatonin - FierceBiotech

Global Cancer Stem Cell Therapy Market Outlook by Types, Applications, End Users and Opportunities to 2025 – TechnoWeekly

By Stem Cell Clinic

The Cancer Stem Cell Therapy market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Cancer Stem Cell Therapy manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.

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The global Cancer Stem Cell Therapy market 2020 research is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the industry and provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Cancer Stem Cell Therapy market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.

This report presents the worldwide Cancer Stem Cell Therapy market size (value, production and consumption), splits the breakdown (data status 2015-2019 and forecast to 2025), by manufacturers, region, type and application. This study also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porters Five Forces Analysis.

Companies profiled and studied for this Cancer Stem Cell Therapy market report include AVIVA BioSciences, AdnaGen, Advanced Cell Diagnostics, Silicon Biosystems and others.

The Report is segmented by types Autologous Stem Cell Transplants, Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants, Syngeneic Stem Cell Transplants, Others and by the applications Hospital, Clinic, Medical Research Institution, Others,.

The report focuses on global major leading industry players of Cancer Stem Cell Therapy market providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Cancer Stem Cell Therapy market development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.

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Global Cancer Stem Cell Therapy Market Outlook by Types, Applications, End Users and Opportunities to 2025 - TechnoWeekly

As California Passes Prop 14, What Is Stem Cell Research and Why Is It Controversial? – Newsweek

By Adult Stem Cells

Voters in California have approved Proposition 14, which will pump billions of dollars into the state's stem cell research program. The Associated Press called the vote on Thursday, with 51 percent of ballots for and 49 percent against.

The result will allow the state to borrow $5.5 billion from investors for its stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The moneywhich taxpayers will repay with interest over the next 30 yearswill enable the institute to stay open, expand its research programs, and build new facilities.

Some $1.5 billion of the money will be spent researching conditions affecting the brain and central nervous system, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, and stroke.

Unlike specialized cellssuch as blood cells or bone cellsstem cells do not have a specific job. Think of them as the raw materials of our bodies. When they divide, they can either renew and make new stem cells, or turn into specialized cells.

Despite making headlines for years, stem cell research is still in its early stages, with some treatments that have appeared to have worked in animals now going into clinical trials. These include treatments for macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness, as well as stroke, Lou Gehrig's disease, and spinal cord injuries.

It is hoped growing stem cells into specialized cells could also one day be used to replace damaged tissue and organs, for instance by helping the pancreas produce insulin in people with diabetes.

Currently, stem bone marrow transplantation is the most common form of stem cell therapy, used to treat blood cancer patients. Stem cell therapy has also been used for grafts of corneal stem cells, as well as skin grafts for burns victims.

As well as creating treatments, stem cell research can also help scientists understand diseases. Observing the cells in a lab as they turn into specialized cells, for instance, can provide clues on how we develop certain conditions.

There are a number of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, adult stem cells tweaked to behave like embryonic stem cells, and stem cells found in the amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord of babies.

The controversy around stem cell research largely lies in the use of embryonic stem cells. These are taken from human embryos in their early stages of development. Opponents have likened this to abortion, although others disagree with this stance.

Embryonic stem cells used in research come from donations from IVF clinics, where an egg is fertilized with a sperm but not implanted into a patient because it is not needed. Embryonic stem cells are preferred over adult stem cells, as it may not be possible to specialize the latter and they are more likely to have abnormalities. But research suggests that it may be possible to turn adult stem cells into a wider range of specialized cells than previously thought, which may make them more useful.

In 2001, the Bush administration banned federal funding for stem cell research. This lead real estate developer Robert N. Klein II to initiate and help fund Proposition 71 in California. The aim was to enshrine the right to carry out stem cell research in the state's constitution, and establish CIRM. Klein was motivated by his son's experience with Type 1 diabetes, and his mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis. In 2004, Californians voted in favor of the proposition.

The institute has performed 64 clinical trials, and published over 3,000 scientific articles on the subject. But 16 years after Proposition 71 passed, CIRM started to run out of funds, and stopped accepting applications for new projects last year. This prompted the Californians for Stem Cell Research, Treatments and Cures political action committee (PAC) to lead the campaign for Proposition 14. Klein was among its supporters, as well as California governor Gavin Newsom, LA mayor Eric Garcetti, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation established by the Back to the Future actor and Parkison's disease patient who is its namesake.

On November 1, the foundation urged people via Twitter to vote in favor of Prop 14 to fund research on neurological disease. "Without this proposition vital research may come to a halt, delaying new treatments for people with," it said.

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As California Passes Prop 14, What Is Stem Cell Research and Why Is It Controversial? - Newsweek

Organoids mimic the early development of the heart in mouse embryos – BioNews

By Adult Stem Cells

16 November 2020

Organoids can be used to study early stages of heart development in mouse embryos, a new study shows.

Researchers from the cole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne, Switzerland, have reported that they were able to produce a mouse heart organoid from embryonic stem cells, which displayed essential features of an early developing heart. They suggested that this reveals a novel application of organoids for studying early embryonic stages of development.

'One of the advantages of embryonic organoids is that, through the co-development of multiple tissues, they preserve crucial interactions that are necessary for embryonic organogenesis,' said Dr Giuliana Rossi, lead author of the study. 'The emerging cardiac cells are thus exposed to a context similar to the one that they encounter in the embryo.'

In their study, published in Cell Stem Cell, the team exposed mouse embryonic stem cells to a mix of three factors involved in promoting heart growth. One week later, the stem cells self-organised into so-called gastruloids:organoids with an embryo-like organisation, which displayed signs of early heart development. The cell aggregatesnot only expressed several genes known to regulate cardiovascular development, but also generated a structure resembling a vascular network. Furthermore, the researchers found an 'anterior cardiac crescent-like domain' in the gastruloids, which even produced a beating heart tissue. Similar to the muscle cells of the embryonic heart, this area was also sensitive to calcium ions.

Organoids have been mostly the focus of research into the generation of adult tissues and organs for pharmaceutical and medical research. In their new publication, Professor Matthias Ltolf and his team suggested that they can also provide a system to study early embryonic stages of the developing heart and other organs, as they preserve important tissue-tissue interactions.

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Organoids mimic the early development of the heart in mouse embryos - BioNews

Human mesenchymal stromal cells do not express ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and are not permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection – DocWire News

By Adult Stem Cells

This article was originally published here

Stem Cells Transl Med. 2020 Nov 14. doi: 10.1002/sctm.20-0385. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory therapies have been proposed for the treatment of COVID-19 and its most serious complications. Among others, the use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is under investigation given their well-documented anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. However, some critical issues regarding the possibility that MSCs could be infected by the virus have been raised. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and type II transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2) are the main host cell factors for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) entry but so far it is unclear if human MSCs express or do not these two proteins. To elucidate these important aspects, we evaluated if human MSCs from both fetal and adult tissues constitutively express ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and, most importantly, if they can be infected by SARS-CoV-2. We evaluated human MSCs derived from amnios, cord blood, cord tissue, adipose tissue and bone marrow. ACE2 and TMPRSS2 were expressed by the SARS-CoV-2-permissive human pulmonary Calu-3 cell line but not by all the MSCs tested. MSCs were then exposed to SARS-CoV-2 wild strain without evidence of cytopathic effect. Moreover, we also excluded that the MSCs could be infected without showing lytic effects since their conditioned medium after SARS-CoV-2 exposure did not contain viral particles. Our data, demonstrating that MSCs derived from different human tissues are not permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection, support the safety of MSCs as potential therapy for COVID-19. AlphaMed Press 2020 SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are currently under investigation for the treatment of COVID-19. However, the potential safety profile of hMSCs in this context has never been defined since none has described if they express ACE2 and TMPRSS2, the main host cell factors for SARS-CoV-2 entry, and if they can be infected by SARS-CoV-2. We provide the first evidence that ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are not expressed in hMSCs derived from both adult and fetal human tissues and, most importantly, that hMSCs are not permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection. These results support the safety of MSCs as potential therapy for COVID-19.

PMID:33188579 | DOI:10.1002/sctm.20-0385

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Human mesenchymal stromal cells do not express ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and are not permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection - DocWire News

Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP) begins phase three osteoarthritis trial – The Market Herald

By Adult Stem Cells

Cynata Therapeutics (CPY) has begun its phase three osteoarthritis clinical trial using its Cymerus mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) product, CYP-004.

The trial is sponsored by the University of Sydney and is funded by an Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant.

It will take place at study centres in Sydney and Tasmania and will begin with an initial four patients who will be assessed over a four week period.

Once completed, the study will open for a wider enrolment.

The aim of the trial is to assess the effect of Cymerus MSCs on the knee joint structure over a two-year period in 440 patients with osteoarthritis in the area.

The trial will be led by the Florance and Cope Chair of Rheumatology and Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney, Professor David Hunter.

It also includes Professor Changhai Ding from the University of Tasmania, Professor Stefan Lohmander from the Lund University in Sweden, and Dr Rachel O'Connor and Dr Xia Wang from the University of Sydney.

"There is now cure for osteoarthritis and current treatment options largely focus on alleviating pain rather than modifying the course of the underlying disease," Professor David stated.

"We are delighted to commence this trial, which is designed to evaluate the disease modifying potential of Cymerus MSCs. Consequently, we anticipate that it will be an enormously influential trial, with the potential to inform clinical practice guidelines globally," he added.

MSCs are adult stem cells found in a wide range of human tissue such as bone marrow, placenta and fat tissue.

They are multi-potent, which means they can produce more than one type of cell. For example, they can differentiate into cartilage cells, fat cells, and bone cells.

They have been shown to ease regeneration and effects on the immune system without relying on engraftment (when transplanted cells start to grow and make healthy cells).

Patients will receive either an intra-articular injection of Cymerus MSCs or a placebo three times during a one year period. This will then followed-up for a two year period post enrolment.

Cynata will measure the quality of life, assessment of pain, physical function, and the proportion of participants achieving patient-acceptable symptom state - which is the highest level in which patients consider themselves satisfied with treatment.

"This clinical trial aims to determine whether Cynata's proprietary Cymerus MSC technology is active in the setting of knee osteoarthritis," Chief Operating Officer Dr Killian Kelly said.

"We look forward to advancing this clinical trial to investigate the potential benefits our MSCs could have to treat osteoarthritis patients with this common and debilitating disease," he added.

Cynata has ended the day 6.55 per cent in the green, with shares trading for 89.5 cents each in a $98.38 million market cap.

Excerpt from:
Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP) begins phase three osteoarthritis trial - The Market Herald

AgeX Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Provides Business Update – The Baytown Sun

By Stem Cell Treatment

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 16, 2020--

AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (AgeX; NYSE American: AGE), a biotechnology company developing innovative regenerative therapeutics to treat human diseases to increase healthspan and combat the effects of aging, reported financial and operating results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Q3 Highlights

This quarter, we continued to build upon our licensing and collaboration model through our new agreement with ImStem that provides us an avenue for participating financially in potential treatments for COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS. Since the first of the year, AgeX has entered into six agreements that could lead to the development of new cell therapies by our licensees and collaborators, which utilize our core technologies and cell lines with potential future income streams to AgeX, said Greg Bailey M.D., Chairman of AgeX. In addition, expansion of our agreement related to ESI clinical-grade pluripotent stem cell lines will now allow us independence to build ESI cell lines as a to-go-to source for deriving cell based therapeutics across the industry.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

AgeX is in need of additional capital to finance its operations. On March 30, 2020, AgeX entered into a Secured Convertible Facility Agreement (the New Loan Agreement) with Juvenescence Limited pursuant to which AgeX may borrow funds from time to time. As of November 16, 2020, AgeX has borrowed $5.5 million and may draw additional funds from time to time subject to Juvenescences discretion, prior to the contractual repayment date on March 30, 2023. AgeX may not draw down more than $1.0 million in any single draw. More information about the New Loan Agreement can be found in AgeXs Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020, and September 30, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2020, May 14, 2020, August 14, 2020, and November 16, 2020, respectively.

Going Concern Considerations

As required under Accounting Standards Update 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern (ASC 205-40), AgeX evaluates whether conditions and/or events raise substantial doubt about its ability to meet its future financial obligations as they become due within one year after the date its financial statements are issued. Based on AgeXs most recent projected cash flows, and considering that loans from Juvenescence under the New Loan Agreement will be subject to Juvenescences discretion, AgeX believes that its cash and cash equivalents, the remaining $2.5 million available under the New Loan Agreement and reduction in staff in May 2020 would not be sufficient to satisfy its anticipated operating and other funding requirements for the twelve months following the filing of AgeXs Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. These factors raise substantial doubt regarding the ability of AgeX to continue as a going concern.

Third Quarter 2020 Operating Results

Revenues: Total revenues for the third quarter of 2020 were $434,000 as compared with $411,000 for the third quarter of 2019. AgeX revenues are primarily generated from subscription and advertising revenues from the GeneCards online database through its subsidiary LifeMap Sciences, Inc. Revenues in 2020 also included approximately $40,000 of allowable expenses under AgeXs research grant from the NIH. Revenues from that grant were $41,000 in the same period in 2019.

Operating expenses: Operating expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2020 were $2.8 million as compared to $3.6 million for the same period in 2019. Operating expenses are comprised of research and development expense and general and administrative expenses. On an as-adjusted basis, operating expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2020 were $2.3 million as compared to $3.0 million for the same period in 2019.

The reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP operating expenses is provided in the financial tables included with this earnings release.

Research and development expenses were $0.8 million during the three months ended September 30, 2020, a $0.6 million decrease from $1.4 million during the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to the layoff of 11 research and development personnel in May 2020 and the elimination of shared services payments to Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (Lineage) with the termination of our Shared Facilities and Services Agreement on September 30, 2019.

General and administrative expenses decreased by $0.3 million to $1.9 million during the three months ended September 30, 2020 from $2.2 million during the same period in 2019 despite an increase in head count resulting from the employment of AgeXs own finance team commencing in October 1, 2019. These increases were offset by a decrease in noncash stock-based compensation expense, travel and related expenses with the shelter in place mandates since March 15, 2020 resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the elimination of shared facilities and services fees from Lineage following the termination of the Shared Facilities and Services Agreement on September 30, 2019.

About AgeX Therapeutics

AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: AGE) is focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics to treat human diseases to increase healthspan and combat the effects of aging. AgeXs PureStem and UniverCyte manufacturing and immunotolerance technologies are designed to work together to generate highly defined, universal, allogeneic, off-the-shelf pluripotent stem cell-derived young cells of any type for application in a variety of diseases with a high unmet medical need. AgeX has two preclinical cell therapy programs: AGEX-VASC1 (vascular progenitor cells) for tissue ischemia and AGEX-BAT1 (brown fat cells) for Type II diabetes. AgeXs revolutionary longevity platform induced Tissue Regeneration (iTR) aims to unlock cellular immortality and regenerative capacity to reverse age-related changes within tissues. HyStem is AgeXs delivery technology to stably engraft PureStem or other cell therapies in the body. AgeX is seeking opportunities to establish licensing and collaboration arrangements around its broad IP estate and proprietary technology platforms and therapy product candidates.

For more information, please visit http://www.agexinc.com or connect with the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not historical fact including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as will, believes, plans, anticipates, expects, estimates should also be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in more detail in the Risk Factors section of AgeXs most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commissions (copies of which may be obtained at http://www.sec.gov ). Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. AgeX specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law.

AGEX THERAPEUTICS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PAR VALUE AMOUNTS)

September 30, 2020

December 31, 2019

(Unaudited)

ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents

$

1,107

$

2,352

Accounts and grants receivable, net

241

363

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

581

1,339

Total current assets

1,929

4,054

Property and equipment, net

Excerpt from:
AgeX Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Provides Business Update - The Baytown Sun

Mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of COVID-19-progress and challenges – DocWire News

By Stem Cell Treatment

This article was originally published here

Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao. 2020 Oct 25;36(10):1970-1978. doi: 10.13345/j.cjb.200216.

ABSTRACT

At present, SARS-CoV-2 is raging, and novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) has caused more than 35 million confirmed patients and more than 500 000 cases death, which seriously endanger human health, socioeconomic development, as well as global medical and public health systems. COVID-19 is highly contagious, has a long incubation period, and causes many death cases due to lack of effective specific treatment. Mesenchymal stem cells have powerful anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory functions, and can effectively reduce the cytokine storm caused by coronavirus in patients, and improve the pulmonary fibrosis of patients, promote the repair of damaged lung tissue, and reduce the mortality. Currently, a number of related clinical trials of mesenchymal stem cell treatment of COVID-19 have been conducted, and have confirmed the safety and efficacy, suggesting a good clinical application prospect. While progress has been made in mesenchymal stem cell therapy for COVID-19, we should also catch sight of the problems and challenges faced by mesenchymal stem cell clinical trials under severe epidemic situation, including clinical trials design, stem cell quality management, and ethics in treatment. Only by paying attention to these can we guarantee the safe and effective development of mesenchymal stem cell clinical trials in the treatment of COVID-19.

PMID:33169563 | DOI:10.13345/j.cjb.200216

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